Limerick men plead guilty to IRA membership

Two Limerick men whose lawyers last week expressed concern about recordings while they were in custody have pleaded guilty this afternoon to IRA membership.

31 year-old Thomas McMahon of Ros Fearna, Murroe and 34 year-old Noel Noonan with an address at St Patricks Hostel, Clare Street today entered guilty pleas to IRA membership on the 7th of February last year.

Live95fm's Sarah O'Connor reports from the Special Criminal Court:

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The Special Criminal Court will sentence Thomas McMahon and Noel Noonan on the 27th of June following their guilty pleas this afternoon.

Last week as their trial was due to start their lawyers said they were concerned in the wake of the Garda phone recording contrvoersy and they sought clarification in relation to the stations their clients had been held in; Cahir and Clonmel in Tipperary.

Superintendent Michael Flynn of the garda communications unit confirmed to the court that no recording equipment had been installed at those stations - that this equipments was installed in 27 divisional headquarters outside of Dublin in 1996 and upgraded in 2008 but that the facility was switched off in November last year.

Lawyers for the two men were given time to organise a physical inspection of the stations Cahir and Clonmel, however, today the court heard that matters had been shortened and they could be arraigned.